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What is your Biggest Green Accomplishment of 2009?

By GreenBiz Staff

Oakland, CA - Everybody's got one, but some years even our loved ones - not to mention our bosses - fail to ask. But we did: We asked some of GreenBiz.com's valued readers what they felt proudest of over the past year, professionally speaking. We expected that many would simply answer, "Keeping my job!" or other such survivalist response. No one did.

Granted, the question was an underhand softball, ripe for hitting out of the park, so we expected boasting, and got it. Below is a sampling of what readers told us.

What's your proudest professional accomplishment of the past twelve months?

Lynelle Cameron, Director of Sustainability, Autodesk
Autodesk developed a new approach that corporations can follow in setting targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The approach, called C-FACT (Corporate Finance Approach to Climate Stabilization Targets) calls for companies to reduce GHG emissions in line with global scientific and policy climate stabilization targets, and in proportion to companies' relative contribution to the economy, measured by gross domestic product. If all companies were to adopt this approach, private sector emissions would be on track to help stabilize the climate by 2050. Autodesk is making this approach open source so that other companies can adopt and build upon it. Read the white paper and watch the video here.

Michael Meehan, President & CEO, Carbonetworks
This year we helped over 8,000 sites around the world achieve their sustainability goals by managing and reducing their impact on the environment. And we are poised for thousands more in the coming months. We are very proud our company's contribution to reducing the environmental impact of business all over the globe.

Bill Morrissey, VP - Environmental Sustainability, The Clorox Company
After years of quiet eco achievements, Clorox finally went public and joined the EPA's Climate Leaders program, negotiated a GHG reduction goal (10% by 2013) with them, and went public with this goal in July 2009. Now, as a result of this public commitment, we have more internal company commitment to execute our GHG reduction action plan. Specifically, Clorox's Product Supply organization has adopted the expanded mandate to reduce GHG emissions of it's manufacturing and distribution operations, with GHG reduction investments being made, and GHG goals being pushed down to the plant manager level.

Fred Roselli, Communications Manager, Coca-Cola Enterprises
We hosted a Virtual Facility Tour this year, demonstrating our sustainable operations in Bellevue, WA. It was a great opportunity to showcase our work, but also to reward the team in Bellevue for such a great job - they're almost at 100% waste reduction (99.85%), and for a facility of 300,00 square feet on 22 acres.

Jeff Rehm, Sustainability Manager, Grainger
The organization's commitment to Sustainability really began to gain momentum in 2009. We started the year with 3 LEED facilities and will have 10 by the end of the year. We remain the only Industrial Distributor to operate LEED facilities. We also became the first organization in our space to be recognized as an EPA SmartWay certified shipper. Both of these are great examples of how sustainability is permeating every facet of how we do business. From adopting LEED standards for new branch construction, to participating in numerous recycling programs, to working with the U.S. Green Building Council, the company is helping to preserve the natural resources within the communities where it does business.

Daniel A. Daggett, Manager, Corporate Sustainability, JohnsonDiversey
In 2009 JohnsonDiversey tripled the target for greenhouse gas emissions, increasing from a 2008 commitment to reduce emissions 8% year to a 25% reduction. JohnsonDiversey employees around the world saw firsthand how our sustainability strategy have a positive impact on the planet as well as our profitability. In 2010, we will continue to build on that success both internally and with suppliers and customers.

Adam Lowry, Co-Founder and Chief Greenskeeper, Method
Participating in the policy-making processes of the Obama Administration and COP15. Method was born in part out of my frustration at being ineffective as a scientist trying to lead policy change. I believe business is a better way to catalyze massive positive change, and that it will be politics that follows business, not the other way around. Being given a seat at the table in these forums because of what method's done is a great validation of that.

Dennis Salazar, President, Salazar Packaging, Inc.
Internally we understand the environmental impact of our work but recognition from the outside is rare for a company like ours that works in commodity packaging products. However, last month we were nominated for Green America's annual Green Business Leadership Award, which was an unexpected surprise and accomplishment. Even though we did not win, as they say, it was an honor to be nominated, especially for a young company and relatively new Green America member.

Brandi McManus, Vice President of Energy Solutions, Schneider Electric
For our customers, we provide aggressive energy efficiency projects that reduce their energy use and carbon footprints. In the last year, Schneider Electric customers collectively saved almost US$500 million on energy bills and reduced their carbon emissions by 6.8 million tons. That is equivalent to planting almost 1 million acres of trees! When I think about our products and services in these terms, I know that we make a real and positive impact on the planet and society.

Albe Zakes, Vice President of Media Relations, TerraCycle, Inc.
With the help of almost 60,000 schools and community groups nationwide and the support of 16 major brands, TerraCycle collected over 1 billion pre- and post-consumer pieces of packaging. Plus new technology we are developing will enable us to reuse any amount of waste by processing once non-recyclable packaging into eco-friendly building materials.

George Ahn, CEO and President, TRIRIGA
Our biggest accomplishment this year was to receive AMR Research's Leadership in Sustainability award for our environmental sustainability solution, TREES. AMR Research is the leading research firm focused on sustainability strategies and its annual Leadership Award for Sustainability recognizes the industry's best. This award provides one of the best endorsements TRIRIGA can receive and reflects the months of investment, exceptional delivery and strength of our employees. TRIRIGA's employees feel very proud of this accomplishment.

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